Here I am at the beach enjoying a yearly retreat to sand and surf with the over-riding idea of letting go of routine and obligations.

Yep, I’m sitting here and looking at the myriad of beach set-ups. Some folks have umbrellas and elaborate sun blocking paraphernalia; others are lying on chairs and blankets basking in the rays and clearly going for the glow. They’re all making it work for their specific needs…customizing it for themselves so there’s full satisfaction.

Do you do that? Customize I mean or, do you have a “one size fits all” approach?

Sure there are certainly businesses and applications where customization is unnecessary, and where a cookie-cutter approach is just fine and perhaps even preferred (think about it…when you get your Dunkin’ Donuts don’t you want to “know” how they’re going to taste?).

But for us consultants customization is king. We seek to deploy solutions that are specific to the situations at hand, and we do this by exquisite probing. Asking the kind of insightful questions that enable you to uncover exactly what you need to know is a best practice in sales.

I encourage you to do these simple things:

1. Prepare a list of 15-20 questions that you should review prior to every prospect interaction. Add new questions to the list as they become relevant.

2. Practice your probing skills and refine your delivery and timing so you don’t come across as interrogating your prospects. Use your prospect’s answers as a platform for you to provide additional information and benefits statements about your product or service.

3. Listen to the responses that you receive. 80% of the sales dance is listening.

Remember that if in your business one size does NOT fit all it is up to YOU to get to the heart of the situation. You can never count on the prospect to freely disclose their wants and needs.